Consonance
by Symphonic-Deception
Summary: The individual has always struggled to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay, for the privilege of owning one's self.


The long battle with the Arrancar is finally over. In a dry field with enormous chalk cliffs stretching along the coast, far from the town of Karakura, Ichigo Kurosaki deals the final blow against Sōsuke Aizen. It is a simple attack from a physical standpoint. Ichigo simply swings his sword, and a great wall of black flaming energy ravishes the land. The man who fancied himself a God, now lies split in two; his organs sprawled about, and blood seeping into the ground. Ichigo falls to his knees taking deep breaths. "My Soul Reaper powers... Are leaving me," he heaves.

Ichigo freezes when the mangled corpse lets out an unintelligible sound. The blood and organs begin to return to their host. Once the inner workings of the body have taken their places, Aizen's two halves rapidly stich back together, making a sound similar to bones being crushed. Aizen hobbles to his feet and looks down at Ichigo. "You... Can still regenerate?" Ichigo mumbles.

Aizen takes in a long breath. "Ichigo Kurosaki... Observe," he lifts his crumbling sword. "My Zanpakutō is fading away. You should know what that means… The Hōgyoku has determined that I no longer have any need for it. Like you, I have become one with the Zanpakutō and its powers. In fact, you no longer have that power, while I shall reach a level far beyond your own. It is over, Ichigo Kurosaki." Suddenly, multiple red spears of light pierce Aizen's chest. "What is this," he staggers, but refuses to fall. "Kido?! When..."

"It's finally taking effect," Kisuke Urahara makes his appearance.

Aizen's white and lavender eyes narrow with subdued rage. "This is your doing then."

"Yes. Before you could completely transform; when you were most vulnerable, I planted that Kido into another and shot it into your body. It's a seal. I figured that once you fused with the Hōgyoku, killing you would be nearly impossible. So, I invented a new Kido to seal you."

Aizen scoffs. "Is that so? I hate to disappoint you. But at this moment, I am about to ascend even further. You cannot seal me away with this level of Kido," as he prepares to strike, his blade crumbles completely and the white layer of skin covering his body begins to shatter. His eyes return to their natural umber color. "What," Aizen stares at his twitching bare hand. "What is happening?"

"It is the Hōgyoku's will," says Kisuke. "The reason the seal that I shot into your body is only taking effect now, is because your power has been weakened. It is all thanks to Ichigo. It could take effect because he fought this hard and pushed you to your limit. The Hōgyoku is saying that it does not recognize you as its master."

"Absurd," Aizen glares and the group of stakes lengthen into long crosses, forcing Aizen to hunch over. Swarms of a stone like substance start to entrap Aizen from the feet and up. "Kisuke Urahara! With your great intellect, why will you not take action?! Why do you subjugate yourself to that thing?!"

"That thing? You mean the Soul King? I understand now. You saw, didn't you? ...Without the existence of the Soul King, the Soul Society would split apart. The Soul King is the keystone. Without the keystone in place, it would crumble easily. That's how the world is."

Aizen grinds his teeth. "That is an argument only a naïve coward would make!" The substance reaches his neck and the red crosses solidify. Aizen tears his arm out and claws away pieces of the invading substance. "A victor must always speak of how the world should be, not the way it is!" The seal boils around his chest. "I-," before he can finish the seal covers his entire body and crushes him into a thin, three cross seal.

Ichigo turns his head away and the dust settles. The clouds slowly part, letting the sun shine through upon the barren land outside Karakura town and a soft breeze passes though as Ichigo stares at the seal and Kisuke walks to his side. It is faint, but they can sense Aizen's power scratching violently. Were he not in a weakened state, he might have been able to get out.

"Kisuke, where is everyone else?" Ichigo slowly stands.

"They should all be heading back home now."

"You're not going to erase their memories, are you?"

"No, not this time anyway."

"I see. That's a good thing, I was tired of hiding it all from them. When I get back I'll explain things to each one personally."

Kisuke smiles. "The cross seal containing Aizen will be taken to the Soul Society. I imagine Central 46 will decide shortly on his position. Ah, and there they are now," Kisuke gestures to the masked soul reapers walking out of a large pair of black sliding doors that appear in the air.

They hastily guide the seal back through the gate and vanish. Ichigo looks solemnly at the empty space. "Why the sad look," asks Kisuke. "You should be happy that it's all over.

"I'm not really sure myself," Ichigo sits on a piece of rubble.

"You saved everyone. All because you were willing to risk everything to stop Aizen. Which you accomplished."

"...I know that."

"There was no other way."

They are silent as the clouds slowly pass overhead. "Let me ask, about Aizen, is it true that he was rejected by the Hōgyoku? My old man told me that the Hōgyoku's power manifests the heart's desires. It that's the case. Could it be that Aizen lost his powers by his own choice? When I battled him, I finally had enough strength to reach his sword. And I can tell you with certainty that there was nothing but loneliness in that weapon. If his powers were superior from the time he was born, perhaps he's been searching all these years for someone he could regard as his equal. It must have been frustrating at first. Just depressing. And at some point, he must have given up. I imagine he's been wishing, somewhere very deep in his heart, to become a simple soul reaper like the others."

Kisuke looks to the ground and chuckles.

༺ ж ༻

An underground hall within the Central 46 Compound. The dimly lit torches illuminate just enough to see the silhouette of the Central 46 members, but brightly focus on the prisoner. In the center of the courtroom, the prisoner sits bound to a wooden chair, with many black bonds and three metal stakes impaling his chest, covered in complex paper seals. Only one eye and his mocking smile are visible.

46 members seats are situated in the judge's balcony with numbered plaques before them to conceal their faces, all overlooking the chair from above. The court scribe is seated on the main floor, below the balcony, waiting to take notes on the proceedings. He is shaking like a leaf under Aizen's amused stare. The thin mahogany eyes are filled with a silent bloodlust.

Beside the scribe, is an imposing soul reaper with his weapon at the ready. Not that he could do much if this prisoner were his opponent, but appearances must be kept. "We will now pass judgment," a member of central 46 yells. "Former captain of the fifth division, Sōsuke Aizen. We hereby sentence you to the lowest level of underground prison eight: Muken! Where you will remain for the next 18,000 years!"

"The likes of you, passing judgment upon me? How comical," he says with a lighthearted laugh.

"Traitor," a woman screams and the entire room soon joins her.

"Pushing your luck simply because you're immortal!"

"Restrain his eye and mouth immediately!"

"Increase his sentence to 20,000 years!"

The corners of Aizen's lips curl upward before they are covered.

༺ ж ༻

Karakura town is eerily quiet as the soul reapers slowly gather their injured and return to the Soul Society. Change, was a bitter pill to swallow for the true believers of their old ways. With Aizen gone, life, in both realms, can return to the way it was. For better or for worse.

The streets are empty. Cars are still, although the traffic lights still change. People within Karakura sleep soundly in their homes and at their work places. The humans that have died because of the battles will be disposed of and forgotten by their friends and family. All memory of the lives taken from this world will be lost. Only known to those who are not fully human. Kisuke Urahara said he would not make Ichigo's friends forget the events, but some things had to be removed from their minds in order for them to remain sain and safe. When the humans wake, it will be as if the great destruction had never happened.

Within the wreckage of two skyscrapers, Rangiku is hunched over Gin Ichimaru's lifeless form, with tears streaming down her face while she lets out strained screams. A million questions running through her mind. 'Why didn't you tell me? Why did you bear the burden all alone? Couldn't you have trusted me? …Why did you push me, and everyone else, so far away?'

As Rukia and her comrades help the wounded soul reapers to the gateway of the Soul Society, Orihime stops and looks back. She glances at Rukia. "Go on," Rukia says. "We can take it from here."

Orihime nods and runs to Rangiku, crouching at her side. She wants to comfort her dear friend, but cannot think of the right words to say. She remembers the time Rangiku had come to her in her times of need. When she felt so inferior to Ichigo's new friends. When she felt alienated. Such powerful beings, while she remains a fragile human. And she lacks confidence. She cannot jump into battle with her head held high and defeat the enemy to save her loved ones. Orihime clenches her fists in frustration. She is tired of always feeling so helpless. Though she lacks the courage to change alone.

Orihime perks her head when she hears Rangiku gasp. Parts of Gin's body are beginning to crumble into a glowing dust and fading away. An idea comes to Orihime, but she hesitates. 'It probably won't even work, and might not be the right thing to do.' She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. 'Rangiku has suffered enough.' Orihime gently touches the barrettes in her hair. "Sōten Kisshun," she whispers.

Rangiku falls back when a shield of golden light appears above Gin. "What are you..."

The crumbling pieces immediately stop and begin to reform. Gin's blood slides back up through the concrete cracks and retreats into his body. Where his arm was severed; new bone is formed. Strands of muscle, nerves, veins, and skin wrap around the newly formed collagen and calcium. Lastly, the hole in his abdomen is closed and a little color slowly returns to Gin's face. Orihime lets out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding and the glowing sphere above Gin fades away.

Orihime and Rangiku both flinch when Gin takes a quick breath and his back arches. "G-Gin…?" Rangiku glances at Orihime with a bright smile, joy overwhelming her.

Gin shakily opens his sky-blue eyes and looks at the two women. "…Why," is all Gin says before he closes his eyes, letting everything fade to black. The restoration and healing that has occurred in his body leaves him feeling completely drained.

"GIN!" Rangiku's voice, she sounds desperate.

Gin feels someone lifting him off the ground. "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING HIM! LET GO OF ME! GIN!" Rangiku's screams fade into the background.

༺ ж ༻

The next time Gin wakes, it is not nearly as pleasant. A bright spotlight is shined on him and his eyes feel like they are being pierced by needles. The rest of the room is nearly pitch black with many voices whispering amongst each other. His arms and legs are bound to a black chair and he can feel what little energy he has being forced into submission by the red choker around his neck. When he tries to summon his spiritual pressure, the collar burns into his flesh. He clenches his teeth in frustration. 'Lessee… there seems ta be 30, nah, 46 of these old farts. So, they must be the new central forty-six.' Gin thinks to himself and sighs.

An old woman yells a long list of crimes Gin has committed. The laws he had broken listed one by one. Every notable soul reaper he had killed; that they knew of. Gin dozes off halfway through her explanation of his treason, and lets out an exaggerated snore. Causing the whole room to scoff and start throwing insults at him.

"Jus' get ta the point already. 'M sure every damn organism in the universe already knows what I did."

The woman listing his deeds looks like she is about to burst out in rage. "Have it your way, creeten."

A tall man in black walks toward him and pummels the pommel of his sword against Gin's head, rendering him unconscious.

༺ ж ༻

Gin opens an eye cautiously and takes in his situation. The entire room is small and covered with white leather padding. He slides his head across the floor with an irritated groan. His mind won't stop pounding. Then he notices that his clothes have been taken away, forcing his skin to touch the cold floor, and his eyes to see his malnourished appearance. He sits up and stares at the tall steel door before him while scratching at the red choker around his neck. Something as mundane as a necklace, keeping him from strength. He laughs, but soon frowns when he rubs the back of his neck and runs his fingers through his greasy hair. He needs to wash it.

His arm falls to his lap and he taps his fingers on his leg. Then his nails on the floor. They continue to click in a steady rhythm. It is so quite he can heart his heart beating and his fingers soon tap with each pulse. Until the motion begins to become aggravating. He sighs and lays on his side.

Every once and a while, he will shift to the other side, get up and walk around, or lie flat on the cold metal floor, humming an improvised tune.

Now he is lying with one leg over the other, his hands folded over his stomach, and his eyes staring at his only way out. The sound of the lock unhinging makes him flinch and he quickly sits up and folds his legs in an attempt to cover himself. Two soul reapers enter and grab each of his arms firmly, pulling him out of the room. Outside the door is an old and ugly stone hallway with the occasional flickering light on the wall. There are many other doors similar to Gin's, but he can hear nothing behind them. Is he the only one here?

The men take Gin to a large laboratory with a long wooden table illuminated by a low hanging lamp. At each end of the table are cuffs and a system of cogs. Across the room are three figures standing quietly with cloaks that only show their scrutinizing eyes. The two men force Gin to lie on the table. Then they strap his arms and legs. 'If I could jus' access a sliver of my spiritual pressure, I could sever their arms and legs. Then force 'em ta watch as I mutilate their comrades and demoralize their families. Then when their loved ones beg for mercy, I could snuff 'em out, ever so slowly.' His grin twitches. He feels the eyes of the three figures watching him. One of them raises their hand and the attendants who escorted Gin begin to wind a large lever that turns the cogs. Gin's body tenses when the straps begin to pull his arms and legs. "I'm ta be tortured then. Lovely."

A drop of sweat slides down Gin's neck as his body slowly stretches to its full capacity. "Gin Ichimaru, you have spent many centuries at the side of Sōsuke Aizen." The middle figure steps forward, his grey eyes looking down at Gin.

"Sure 'ave."

"After all that time, you must have learned a great deal."

The slow cranking of the lever echoes through the room. When Gin dose not reply, the grey eyed man removes one of the planks of wood below Gins back to reveal a long set of rusted needles. They are not quite tall enough to touch his back. A laugh escapes Gin. "Ya want me ta tell ya all of Aizen's secrets…? Alright...," he lets his grin fall. "He likes Tofu; which I'll never understand. An doesn't like boiled eggs." Gin cringes when his shoulder pops out of place. "…An he's pretty good at calligraphy."

The grey eyes glare at Gin. "I did not ask for what his domestic likes and abilities are!"

"Well, ya will 'ave ta specify."

"His weaknesses! His origin! Where does he come from?! Has he always had such power?!"

"Judgin' by how worked up ya are 'bout 'em, I'm guessin' Ichigo was unable ta kill 'em. Sucks for you."

The grey-eyed man rips five planks from under Gin, forcing him to arch his back and rip something in one of his legs. "…Alright. He has a weakness for," the needles prick Gin's back as he begins to lose his strength. "Tea..."

The man's eyes widen in rage and he grabs one of the attendant's swords while Gin bursts out in laughter. One of the other figures grabs the grey-eyed man and drags him out of the room.

The turning of the lever has stopped, letting Gin rest somewhat. A sigh escapes the remaining figure as she looks at the ground. "I really wish I had been more insistent when I refused this position," The figure walks forward.

Gin snickers. "As do I."

Retsu Unohana removes her mask and hood with a drawn-out sigh. "I admit I've never really liked you, but I also cannot bring myself to approve of this. Not that it is really up to me."

"Pity, since I kinda like ya. 'Er rather the side of ya that appears sometimes."

Retsu's eyes narrow. "Why won't you tell us what we want to know? You betrayed Aizen in the end."

"Don't assume I've ever been on yer side simply 'cause I blew a hole in his chest."

"…Then whose side are you on?"

"None but me own."

"What about Rangiku Matsumoto?"

"What 'bout 'er?"

Retsu is silent for a moment as she analyzes Gin's expression. "I see why he kept you by his side for so long. I am curious though, why did you not act sooner?"

Gin's limbs won't stop shaking from the strain. "I had ta wait for the right moment."

"What is your motivation Gin?"

"Good question."

"Did it change at some point?"

"We're fluctuatin' creatures 'er we not?"

Retsu folds her hands behind her back. "You were indeed truly loyal to Aizen at one point then."

"He would've killed me immediately if I wasn't. He's got a knack for sensin' that kinda thing."

"Gin, in this moment, what is your opinion of Aizen?"

Gin smirks. "I would gladly kiss his ass right now."

"I see you are incapable of having a serious conversation."

"Life is too short ta be serious all the time. An' have ya seen that rear? Godly."

Retsu's brow tenses while Gin chuckles.

"Ya know, the trouble with havin' an open mind like myself, is that people will insist on comin' along and tryin' ta take things out, and put things in it."

"How intuitive of you."

"Not all the things Aizen put in my noggin 'er horrible."

"Did you have an intimate relationship with him?"

"Intimate?" Gin's chuckles become strained as he tries to tug at his bonds. "I don't think he knows the meanin' of tha word."

"Something purely sexual then?"

"He never had any interest in that. Unless it would further his goals o'course."

"Has anyone ever gotten as close as you?"

"Close is definitely not the word I would use. We are farther apart than Pluto an the Sun."

"Then you are useless to us, are you not? We should just dispose of you now."

"On the contrary, I am quite good at brightenin' people's days."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Ya 'ave ta 'ave a special sense of humor."

"You made Aizen laugh then?"

"Ya sure like ta talk 'bout Aizen. Next thing ya know we're gonna be talkin' 'bout his hair an dick size. Maybe ya even wanna know how long his tongue is."

Retsu sighs. "You are incredibly vulgar."

"Well, the first we can all admire, the second I've never seen, and the third I assume a woman like yourself would appreciate. An if ya think I 'ave a shitty mouth, ya should've heard Grimmjow."

"We are done for today," Retsu nods to the attendants and takes her leave.

"Nice talkin' with ya."

When the attendants suddenly loosen his bonds completely, the needles dig into his flesh, making Gin cringe. "Now… That's jus' rude."

"You don't deserve any hospitality," says the attendant that unbuckles his bindings.

"So ya can speak. Good ta know. I wonder, 'ave we met before?"

The brown eyed attendant glances at Gin's profile. "No."

"Ya sure? 'Ave I stabbed ya before?"

The attendant's brow tightens. "No."

Gin smirks and the attendants drag him back to his room. Before the brown eyed man closes the door, Gin says: "How 'bout someone ya cared for?"

The door stops. "Ren, don't let him get to you," calls the man's comrade.

"So yer name's Ren. Can't say the name rings a bell. Whoever I killed must not 'ave been that important."

Ren's hand clenches around the door knob. "How dare you. She was just an innocent little girl."

"Ah, a family member," Gin shifts on the floor, trying to keep his grin in place in spite of the stinging pain.

Ren clenches his teeth. He does not hear his comrade calling for him. Gin sits a little straighter and opens his eyes just enough so others could see a hint of icy blue. "I think I remember now. Yes, she screamed like an animal when I ran 'er threw. Kept yellin': Please help me, anyone!" Gin imitates the girl's voice with an exaggerated high pitch. "An after I removed my blade she crawled away from me like a worm with the most annoyin' voice I've ever heard. It was so unbearable I jus' had ta sever 'er head."

Ren's eyes go wide and he slams his fist across Gin's face. "You fucker! I'll kill you!"

The other attendant tries to rip Ren off Gin, but is stricken as well. Ren continues to bash Gin's face while the other rushes to get assistance. Soon three masked men in black subdue Ren. Gin snickers and spits blood in their direction. Then he smiles, showing off the blood seeping through his teeth. "LET GO OF ME," Ren screams as he is dragged out of the room. "LET ME KILL HIM!"

The door closes and the noise subsides. Gin's expression relaxes and he sighs. He can't move his arm or feel his left foot. Blood trickles from each of the punctures on his back. It feels like the skin is slowly being peeled off. He glances at the space behind him to see that his blood is smeared all over the pristine floor. Unable to keep himself up any longer, he falls on his side and closes his eyes. He wouldn't mind if he were to bleed to death.

༺ ж ༻

The voices of two people slowly become clear. "Those imbeciles. I swear Nemu, they must have something nasty shoved up their asses with all this shit they give me. Dumping this garbage on me. THE NERVE! Oh, he's waking up."

Another bright light is shining in Gin's face, but this time he is lying down, and his muscles won't respond correctly. His head feels like its pounding furiously. "Kurotsuchi…I would love ta say it's good ta see ya, but seein' as how I'm strapped down ta this here table..."

Mayuri frowns. "I'm as disappointed about this situation as you are. I wanted to get my hands on Aizen, and they give me you."

Gin's grin twitches. "Perhaps... Ya could say pretty please with a cherry on top an they'll give ya 'em?"

"Enough talking. Nemu, the scalpel and that serrated saw over there. Now then, let's first get rid of that annoying tongue of yours. It's not necessary. You're not weak to pain, are you? Because I won't be administering any anesthetic."

Before Gin can say anything, Nemu pounds his head against the table and tightly binds his skull with a leather strap. When Gin tries to speak a dental mouth gag is shoved between his teeth to stop it from closing. Mayuri pulls on a pair of gloves and keeps Gin's tongue still with a pair of pliers. The scalpel cuts threw his tongue at an agonizing rate, but Gin refuses to voice his pain. With each slice, he is forced to swallow his own blood, making it hard to breath. Gin's nails dig into his palms and his eyes clench tighter.

Mayuri eventually cauterizes his wound. Then the strap around his head and chest are removed. Before he can take a breath, Gin's face is quickly forced into a large bowl of disinfectant which burns his tender flesh. Mayuri thrashes Gin's head around the bowl and slams him back onto the table. Gin coughs violently as he tries to breathe. "I think we are going to have a lot of fun together for the next few years, Ichimaru," Mayuri laughs happily.

Gin forgets to put back up his grin.

༺ Eight Months Pass ༻

The room is a plain grey with only one door and a simple metal chair. Rangiku comes through the door and when she sees Gin bound in white robes from the chin down, her nails dig into her palms. Gin's hunched over head moves ever so slightly, his face hidden by his hair. "Gin…," Rangiku takes a quick breath and sits in the metal chair. "Those fuckers made it really hard for me to see you…. People I thought I could trust were…. I guess it's better than never…. Your hair is longer. It makes you look kind of pretty," she laughs awkwardly. He looks more sickly than pretty.

Rangiku rests her face in her hands and rubs her eyes. A headache is setting in. "Gods, I have to get you out of here. I don't know how, but I will keep trying until I do. I swear." Rangiku wipes her face with her sleeves and tries to smile, but when Gin gives no reaction, she feels like she might crack there and then.

The door to the room opens. "Time's up," says a man with a mask concealing most of his face.

"Could I just-"

"You can come willingly or not. The choice is yours."

Rangiku glares at the masked man. "I swear on my life, Gin."

When the door closes behind them, Gin's eyes close and his head hunches lower.

༺ ж ༻

Three more months pass before Rangiku is prepared. The only one she informs about her intent is Izuru Kira. Who makes sure that when anyone asks why Rangiku is missing from her duties, is because she is either out drinking or slacking off in the human world. Though in reality she is going through the records of previous traitors and gathering as much information as she can about what has been happening within Mayuri's division.

The day that Rangiku is allowed to visit Gin again arrives. She sits in the metal chair before Gin with a sigh and folds her hands together. Izuru is waiting not far off from the structure they are in. He had been putting off his mission in the human world so that when Rangiku comes with Gin, they can get out of the soul society through a world penetration gate safely. Rangiku's nails dig at the dirt beneath as she waits for her time to be up. Then the door opens and a young man with a kind face smiles at her, holding her sword. "Sorry ma'am, but your time is up now."

Rangiku's nails dig into her hands. "I'm sorry," before the guard can respond, she appears in front of him and pummels his head against the wall.

Adrenaline fills her mind and she tears her weapon from its sheath. She hesitates before stabbing the man in the gut, avoiding eye contact. It is unlikely that she could bare seeing the betrayal and confusion in his eyes.

Rangiku gasps when she turns to see Gin's wide, bone chilling eyes watching her. He lacks any light or expression in his face. She feels incredibly afraid of Gin in this moment. When Gin slowly closes his eyes, Rangiku shakes her head and severs the straps binding him. "Can you walk," she asks but Gin gives no response.

Rangiku clenches her lips and pulls one of Gin's arms over her shoulder. She cracks the door to see that no one is there and drags Gin as fast as she can across the long balcony and down the spiral steps. At the bottom, she finds Izuru standing before two unconscious guards. One of which Izuru has taken the kimono from and is holding it under his arm. When he sees Gin, his face fills with pity. "Let's move," he says. "We don't have much time."

They put the black kimono over Gin's white one, and hoist each of his arms over their shoulders. Rangiku nods and they rush down the cobble paths. "You think you can just waltz out of here with my things," Mayuri blocks their path.

Izuru and Rangiku go pale. Mayuri laughs and four members of the stealth force apprehend Rangiku and Izuru, letting Gin fall to the ground like a rag doll. "For goodness sake, the guards around here are useless," Mayuri grabs a handful of Gin's hair.

Rangiku screams curses at Mayuri as he drags Gin away.

༺ ж ༻

In the seven years that followed, Rangiku was only allowed to visit Gin three times. During that time her captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya, was forced to relieve her of her lieutenant status by order of Central 46. She had ignored her duties as a soul reaper for far too long and her reputation was hanging by a thread. Were it not for her captain's arguments, she would have been exiled.

Most of her time was spent being cooped up in her quarters, going through records, trying to find a loophole, or anything to help Gin. But her status only allowed her access to so much, and she was running out of things to read and people to beg. No one wanted to help Gin. No one cared. To most he was simply a traitor and murderer. In her despair, her drinking became more frequent than was healthy, but it made things hurt a little less. Though it also dulled her senses.

Toshiro gave her all the resources he could, despite his opinions, but it was not enough. And she could not bear to ask him for more when she saw the hatred toward Gin in Toshiro's face. She didn't blame him. She knew Gin had done many unforgivable things. But she held onto the hope that there was some semblance of kindness somewhere in him. Or maybe it was all a lie and she was deluding herself. Maybe he saved her from hunger when they were young because he thought he could use her as a pawn. 'He is not like Aizen,' she often told herself. She tried to believe that it was Aizen's fault that Gin had become so cold hearted and cruel. 'But what if he has always had something insidious inside him?' She shoved those kinds of ideas out of her head.

A new threat also appeared in that time. Yhwach, the monarch of the Wandenreich and Father of the Quincy. He wanted to bring the world to its previous, natural state. Before the Soul Reapers created the Soul King as the lynchpin of their society, and changed the balance of the worlds into their favor. Yhwach planned to make all the different realms one again, how they were in the beginning, and rule over said realms. Though in the end, he failed to create true change, just as Aizen had.

So once again, a rebellion was brought to its knees and the Soul Society rebuilds, continuing its old ways. They may claim that the great endeavors against the Soul Society have made them improve, but a new society cannot be created by reproducing the repugnant past, however refined or enticingly repackaged.

༺ ж ༻

The Soul Society is now at peace, and Rangiku sits within a plain room again. This is her fourth visit. Gin's body is always concealed in white, and his head is hung low. Rangiku's short hair is a shaggy mess and she has bags under her bloodshot eyes. Her clothes fit far more loosely now. She's not sure if the form before here is even Gin anymore. He looks shorter than she remembers.

For a long time, the two simply sit in silence, barely moving. She wants to reassure him. Tell him everything is going to be alright, he will be free soon. That he will be forgiven. But it has been years, and nothing has changed for the better. "…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry," Rangiku's voice shakes as she fails to hold back her tears and frustration.

Gin can barely hear her, and he cannot feel her spiritual pressure, or anyone's for that matter.

It is unnerving, not being able to feel the presence of those around him, when he has been able to do so all his life.


End file.
